Poetry from the Art of Devotion Opening

An excellent roster of poets read to us on the theme of devotion. Here are a couple of “gifts” from Dale Harris and Bob Reeves.

THE POETS MARRYThis man came careless to my life,not meaning to,was bound for somewhere elseand lost his way but stayed.This man came light, brought only a few mementos,some photos of old loves.He didn’t need much room.This man came strong into my life,cutting through the lies I called love,rolling away the stonefrom my living, breathing tomb.This man came brittle,feared that he would break upon my secretsbut learned instead to bend.This man came thirstyfor truths he thought I knew —although I never said I didhe thought it anyway.This man came late,came when I was tiredand would need him most.This man came quiet to my lifeuntil a song sang us both — it sings us still.–Dale Harris, 2006————————————————-

SEEING YOU

We breathe into the air in front of our headsfacing the same way, two ends of a table,a trace awkward, a trace killed by anything.How did we stack up these unreachable livesof changing adult dispers? singing in subways?work, play, grief, our double nameshardly ever present? How can it feel likemy gaze is so heavy I have to lift it with both handsto turn it on you? Can love really includethis much distance and waste? Of course, butI’m sorry it does. I’m sorry. I’m in need.Something in you finds me, a straight dartthrough my dark mist, always. Somethingin me wants to find you just as surely.But I’m the older one. The sides of my paths are higher.Show me how. Come, let’s do this again.